Poland has suspended its investigation into the killing of serviceman Mateusz Sitek at the border with Belarus. The decision was taken in May, according to RMF FM.
Mateusz Sitek died in May 2024 after sustaining a fatal knife wound while attempting to stop a group of migrants from crossing from Belarus into Poland. One of the migrants stabbed the soldier with a knife attached to a pole, thrusting it through the border fence.
According to RMF FM, the investigation has been conducted under secrecy provisions from the outset. More than 140 people have been questioned in Poland and abroad during the inquiry. Investigators have known for more than 10 months the identity of the man who inflicted the fatal wound. He is a citizen of a North African country. It should be noted that in 2024 investigators reported that they possessed a photograph of the attacker.
In July last year, prosecutors formally charged the suspect. A court ordered his detention, and arrest warrants were issued, including a European arrest warrant.
Investigators also determined that the suspect is in Belarus. In December, Polish authorities sent a request to Minsk seeking his arrest and extradition. The Belarusian side has not responded to the request. As a result, the investigation was suspended in May.
Sources familiar with the investigation told the radio station that they consider it unlikely Belarus will extradite the suspect. According to them, if he were transferred to Poland, investigators would question him about how he arrived in Belarus and subsequently reached the border area. They believe this could potentially provide evidence of Belarusian authorities’ involvement in organising the migration crisis.
